nounEtymology: French taximètre, modification of German Taxameter, from Medieval Latin taxa tax, charge (from taxare to tax) + German -meterDate: 1894
an instrument for use in a hired vehicle (as a taxicab) for automatically showing the fare due

Taximeter — A taximeter is a mechanical or electronic device installed in taxicabs that calculates passenger fares based on a combination of distance travelled and waiting time. It is the shortened form of this word that gives the taxi its name.HistoryThe… … Wikipedia